Kanyegg Necklace Lettering

Nine months of sketching, drilling, glueing, and clipping brought about the Kanyegg crown jewel: a fabergé emu egg necklace. Lettering was freehanded onto the dark teal surface of the egg, then carved with a Dremel attachment to reveal two additional shell layers, light teal and white.

While graphic and beautiful, this was a mere shell of the final concept. The desire to push forward was simplified when the white inner shell dissolved due to slight punctures. A shell of a life, as they say.

Carving required specialized drill bits, a light hand, and a watchful eye during the bleaching process. The entire process, including the hollowing of the egg, took approximately two weeks. In the above video, one can observe warm-ups on brown chicken eggs.

Encrusting the piece required research into bedazzling, jewelry making, and egg carving, all of which are rabbit holes and industries of their own. Several weeks of research went into components of jewelry, ratios for chains and bails, and problem solving to ensure the egg would freely dangle, withstanding prolonged wear. Which it did, handsomely, modeled by Tyler Phillips.

Shooting the egg in situ was yet another challenge, as photographing editorials was new territory, especially ensuring the piece was legible. Thankfully the hollowed, inner shell read as burnt orange, providing natural contrast to the teal exterior, harmonizing with the backdrop.